A hi-tech cleanliness drive

China is taking its very own Swacchata Abhiyaan truly hi-tech. After Shanghai, Beijing is now onto a major cleanliness drive and what a drive indeed!

We are used to the broom and the mop when it comes to cleaning but China is concentrating more on recycling its waste. The way we Indians litter and throw garbage in public places, maybe China does not have that problem, which is why its drive is more about garbage segregation and recycling.

The trash cans “facially recognise” residents and open up as they approach with multiple packets of waste. Residents look straight at a camera, which verifies their information and opens up the lid of the chosen trash can — seven in all. But to be able to do this, residents have to be registered through an app, which also clocks points for reward points the reward, and can then throw all waste or four kinds of recyclables — paper, plastic, metals and textiles. And all this by just staring at a camera!

Further, every Thursday morning, the building management holds educational events to explain to residents about waste-sorting. Explanatory videos also run on screens inside the elevators of buildings. In all, there are 29 units of trash bins across the 16 buildings. China’s aim - 46 cities to recycle more than 35% of overall waste by 2020.

It is so ironic isn’t it? The world is reeling under so much which China has produced and now the very producer is talking about recycling. And from our Indian perspective, education about littering is more crucial as that habit needs to be nipped, only then will we become clean to some extent.